I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to refuse vehicles, particularly to dedicated side-loading, or front loading, rear discharging refuse vehicle bodies designed for automated loading by container handling devices. The invention further relates to incorporating packer-ejector mechanisms which feature a relatively high speed packing phase and which provide full ejection of the packed contents of the storage enclosure of the truck body without any tipping of the truck body to discharge refuse. A charging or receiving hopper is provided located forward of the storage enclosure to facilitate automated loading using an associated short-radius boom-mounted container handling mechanism, or alternately, a front loading fork and arm system may be substituted. The relatively high speed reciprocating packer panel cycle moves refuse from the receiving hopper into a vehicle body storage enclosure through a front opening accessed from the hopper at a speed that eliminates the need for a follower panel.
II. Related Art
Refuse hauling trucks commonly include a hollow truck body dedicated to receiving, compacting, discharging refuse materials mounted on a heavy duty chassis which includes a cab. The truck body generally includes all the associated hydraulic, pneumatic and/or electrical operating mechanisms associated with packing and ejection equipment. In side-loading or front-loading systems, the truck cab is located in front of a receiving hopper which charges a rear storage enclosure. Refuse to be hauled is loaded into the receiving hopper as by dumping containers either manually or by using a mechanized container handling device mounted on the charging hopper, truck chassis or body. A packing device including a reciprocating or rotating ram, usually hydraulically operated, compacts the material moving it rearward into the storage enclosure or compartment. Loading of the charging hopper is accomplished through side or top openings. The bottom or floor of the charging hopper typically is located at a height equal to or above that of the storage enclosure.
It is known to provide a front or side loading refuse vehicle with a packing and ejecting mechanism that packs refuse from a charging hopper into an associated hollow storage enclosure and later fully ejects the refuse from the storage enclosure. An example of such a refuse truck body system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,822. A further type of full-eject side loading refuse vehicle is shown in co-pending application Ser. No. 10/414659, filed Apr. 16, 2003, which is assigned to the same Assignee as the present application. That system includes a charging hopper floor that is dropped to accommodate manual loading and packs the storage compartment from beneath utilizing a vertically pivoting packer-ejector assist panel to clear the dropped or lowered floor area during ejection and optionally to assist the packing, if desired.
It is also known to provide a mechanized lifting and emptying apparatus situated on one side of the receiving hopper such that a container of interest may be retrieved on that side and emptied through a material receiving opening into the receiving hopper. Such an apparatus typically includes a holding or grasping device generally connected to an arm or extensible boom which is connected, in turn, to a base mounted on the vehicle. The arm or boom and grasping device are operated in concert to engage the container of interest, lift and dump the container into the receiving hopper in the vehicle. Such systems are typically operated using one or more hydraulic devices to extend or retract the boom, pivot the arm and open and close the grabbing device. Examples of such booms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,731, 5,769,592 and 5,931,628.
While the prior devices of the related art have met with a certain amount of success, there remains a definite need for a refuse collection truck body that offers automated side or front loading in which the packer mechanism is constructed and operated in a manner which eliminates the need for a follower panel and which includes a full ejection mechanism which allows full emptying of the storage chamber of the truck body without the need for tipping.